8 Parenting Obligations to Ditch Guilt-Free

February 15, 2013 |Ava Feuer

Skipping family dinner and talking about money in front of your kids are nothing to feel guilty about, says Bruce Feiler, author of The Secrets of Happy Families. Let's move on from these supposed mommy-musts.

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Families should eat dinner together every night

Everything you've heard is true: having dinner as a family is great. However, with extracurriculars, work schedules, and the slew of demands we face, it's also unrealistic to assume everyone will magically appear at the table at 7 o'clock each night. "There's only 10 minutes of productive time in any family meal," explains Feller. "You can take that 10 minutes any time." You can just as easily get the benefits of family togetherness at breakfast or at bedtime. What's important is what you talk about, so ask your kids to teach you a new word every day and do the same for them, or tell them stories of their extended family, which will help them better handle their own setbacks.
Real Weight Loss Success: 173 lbs Lost

Getty Images

3of9

Families should eat dinner together every night

Everything you've heard is true: having dinner as a family is great. However, with extracurriculars, work schedules, and the slew of demands we face, it's also unrealistic to assume everyone will magically appear at the table at 7 o'clock each night. "There's only 10 minutes of productive time in any family meal," explains Feller. "You can take that 10 minutes any time." You can just as easily get the benefits of family togetherness at breakfast or at bedtime. What's important is what you talk about, so ask your kids to teach you a new word every day and do the same for them, or tell them stories of their extended family, which will help them better handle their own setbacks.
Real Weight Loss Success: 173 lbs Lost